Hair Coloring Ideas That Will Color You Happy

It’s all the more dangerous when there has been nothing subtle about the trends for women’s hair color lately.

Yet changing color “just because” happens, and all the time. But is a bad break up really a good reason to go with a Crayola color choice?

Yet even if you don’t go totally Technicolor with streaks of lime green, metallic blue or fuchsia in your strands, some are unleashing their wild and crazy side. Going with dramatic chunking, sudden and extreme color changes or a head full of high-contrast highlights.

While others are embracing a totally new hue whole heartedly and without reservation.

Take Tara. She says everyone gushes over her luxurious, rich brunette mane. And why not? When the sun caresses it at just the right angle the color depths explode.

Yet is it natural or is it L’Oreal?

Guesses…anyone?

Of course Tara’s hair is colored. Who’s isn’t any more?

Sure her stylist knows her hair coloring secrets. But does anyone else?

Plus who hasn’t noticed that a hot new color can be just as transformational as any hot new cut.

Yet like many, when she marched into the salon determine to make a change, Tara had uninspired hair. Mousy brown. Nice enough but nothing to get her noticed for her tresses.

And even though she wanted to discuss the latest hair color ideas Tara was very clear that she wanted to stay away from anything even remotely wild and crazy.

I mean the funky, no commitment hair colors like Atomic Turquoise, Electric Lizard and Pink Flamingo, from Tish and Snooky over at Manic Panic that fade after just a few weeks are irresistible fun, aren’t they?

You can have a great time dyeing and trying out new colors. I’d wholeheartedly suggest you try them if you’d like to jazz things up a bit.

Getting back to Tara, the tricks that worked for her were a rich color that perfectly complimented her skin tones followed by the addition of subtle highlights.

What’s nice is both the treatments can be done in one sitting.

Her colorist used four subdued highlight colors that tone wise were within a few levels of each other. These are what gives her hair that superb dimension and makes you wonder, colored or natural?

Her biggest problem now is handling all the compliments with the proper humility.

30 Second Primer or the 411 of OMG Color

Demi, semi and permanent. What’s the diff anyway? Good question.

Here’s the 411 you need to know.

Okay, so avoiding color fade heart break starts by deciding how long you want to commit to a color.

Yes you can decide that.

Then once you’ve made up your mind you’ll be able to match your fading expectations with the right approach to coloring. One that plans for the all but inevitable color meltdown.

Permanent Now permanent is just that. Forever as in you’re married to the color.

Still while it won’t wash it, it will fade or dull over time.

Then too this type of process is the only way you can lighten your color.

It’s also provides superior coverage of any unwanted grays.

The chemical behind this magic is ammonia or a similar substitute which when used with a developer will dissolve away any natural pigment in your strands opening the door to a new color. That’s what gives such permanence.

That permanence is also why you need to be sure in your choice because there is no going back to virgin hair at that point.

Demi Permanent Next step down the hair coloring longevity ladder is demi permanent.

This one uses a processing solution that may contain bit of peroxide, or better still MEA. This way you’ll get just a bit of dye penetration and you can lighten just a bit with demi permanent dyes too.

Then too the resulting color is typically more vibrant than your final coloring option – semi permanent

Semi-Permanent Ah, yes semi-permanent. Think of this as a product that deposits a color on the hair shaft rather than penetrating it. So it can’t lighten.

Now while it is certainly less damaging you can only count it to last between six to at most 12 shampooings before it too washes out. Making it a great hair friendly choice if you like to change up your color more often. Or if you aren’t exactly ready to devote yourself to a color long term.

So that’s a quick rundown of the types of hair color.

But no you should be asking how do you decide the shade exactly?

The Eyes Have It!

So we’re stuck for hair color ideas are we?

Well it’s super smart when considering possible hair color ideas to look at your eyes or skin tone first. They work hand in hand with the color of your mane to create an overall effect – beauteous or not.

So either can provide clues as to the shades that will make you look your best.

To help you with that follow these easy guidelines.

Got skin tone that you’d describe as fair, rosy, rosy brown or olive – like say that burns easily? And blue, blue gray, green or hazel eyes. Most likely cool, champagne, or ash shades would be best for you.

Got skin tone that golden, fair to medium, golden brown or darker that tans easily, with brown or dark eyes? For best results sounds like you should be looking in the warm or copper and auburn more red color section.

Or one other idea. You can always see how you’d look with a wig or by holding hair extensions around your face to see what the color does for your appearance. Does your face brighten or appear washed out?

By the way, the right shade that compliments your skin tones is also a time saver. By that I mean you can walk out the door without much makeup and still look awesome.

No need to rush this decision either. Because if you go even a bit too dark and it doesn’t work out it can be hard, and most likely expensive, to fix.

Which is why it’s always, always, always better to start off with a lighter shade, because you can always darken it up or go more golden or redder the second time around.

Besides you can’t go wrong with lighter. Such colors are almost always flattering.

Nine Hot Hair Color Ideas To Consider For 2018

The latest may be ammonia free color. Which is even available now to those who color at home. Garnier Olia offers a wide range of color options so it may be worth considering if you color in your bathroom.

Color blocking may also be all the rage. This involves coloring top layers darker and the hair underneath lighter so that the highlighted color lies in wait to pop through. Much like playing peekaboo, any movement of your hair reveals the gorgeous multidimensional mane that radiates, shimmers and dazzles with depth.

And it’s not too late to give a wash-out tint a try. You know to see if psychedelic colors suit you.

Beyond that here are some of the hottest color trends for this year. Just to see if we can’t color you happy.

How to Make Your Color Last

Okay raise your hand.

Who wouldn’t mind if the Kardashians, tanning beds, and The Bachelor finally just faded quietly away? Haven’t they all pretty much overstayed their welcome? But seeing that vibrant new salon hair color of yours fade away, well that’s another story.

So here are seven things you can to protect your color and keep it looking bright and shiny longer.

Prolong the Color When ShampooingWhat to do: You really want to baby your hair using sulfate free shampoos to maintain that gorgeously glossy and vibrant look. Which is to say it is definitely best to wash color-treated hair with a shampoo formulated for, you guessed it, color-treated hair. (It should say that on the bottle somewhere.) That and maybe washing it every couple of days if possible rather than every day using cooler water.What this Does: Cleanses without harsh chemicals that are hard on the color which can coax the pigment to stick around longer.

Preserve Your Color In the ShowerWhat to do: Believe it or not, the pressure of the water coming out of the shower can also affect color fade. For this reason you do not want to let the water beat down directly on your hair for prolonged periods. Instead ONLY put your hair in the line of fire to wet it and rinse it. Otherwise avoid standing with your head directly under the shower head.What this does: It helps avoid rinsing the pigment down the drain sooner than it has too.

Protect the Color After Working OutWhat to do: If you’re serious about protecting the color, a club soda rinse will remove any salt build up resulting from a hard workout. This also works if you wash your locks in hard water.What this does: It removes any minerals that can dull your mane or adversely affect the color.

Before Coloring Tip: If you want your color to look good a good two weeks longer remember to deep condition before dying. Strands that have just been hydrated allow the pigments in the dye to penetrate more deeply.

Put Off Fade Caused by the SunWhat to do: Use products containing UV filters them. Or simply wear a hat when outside.What this does: Either way you are blocking the damaging UV rays which can rob your color of its vibrancy.

Provide For a Color GlossWhat to do: Schedule time to get a color gloss treatment.What this does: Gloss boosts the color and makes hair shinier by depositing a bit more color temporarily without doing any damage to your locks. This can help keep the color looking fresh and new longer, extending the time between colorings.

Prevent Fade By Going for a TwoferWhat to do: You can eliminate up to 50% of fading by using a product that combines shampoo and conditioner in one.What this does: Basically it cuts in half exposure to warm water and any cleansing chemicals that might hasten the fade.

Yep, it’s totally understandable that if you pay good money to get your hair colored, you want to it to last. Plus colored hair can be soft, lustrous, and full of body if it cared for properly. Just remember all color will fade eventually. But its fade to black, so to speak, will happen much more quickly if your hair is damaged to begin with. Or if you don’t baby it after coloring by shielding it from the sun and chemicals to insure the color lasts.

Understanding the Immutable Laws Of Haircolor

FAQ

From highlights to lowlights, to ombre color, to dazzling hues that are meant to get you noticed coloring options abound. Yet these don’t come without questions.

Q1: Oops! Somehow I managed to dye my hair a bit darker than I wanted. Is it possible to just dye it a lighter color?

Most Stylists Say… Just hate when this happens, don’t you? But don’t panic. There are three things you can try to lighten an unflattering color that has you so upset you don’t know where to turn. And no you can’t just dye it a lighter color.

First, any sulfate laden shampoo can help tone the color down by stripping some pigment away. For example a dandruff shampoo, lathered up well and left for maybe ten minutes before rinsing might work. Same goes for clarifying shampoo. Both may slightly fade the color enough for you.

Or follow the same routine only using liquid Tide or Dawn dish detergent to fade the shade.

Or you can try a hot oil treatment. That will open the cuticles and could tease enough of the color pigment out of your strands as well. To make it even better blow dry your mane for a good ten minutes, then wash the oil out of your hair with a clarifying shampoo. You may have to lather up more than once to remove the oil.

Finally for the truly desperate to fix a color gone wrong there’s a product called Color Zap by L’Oreal. The most extreme of solutions, it’s a bona fide color remover. []

Q2: How do I get these brassy tones out of hair?

Most Stylists Say… Hair looking as bright as a dirty penny? Have yellow or orange tones taken over? Time to get to work to fix that unwanted tinge.

Oxidized color that leaves a hint of an orange sheen can be toned down with a toner specifically designed to reduce brassiness. Works wonders.

The brassiness can also be washed away with purple toned shampoo like Clairol Shimmer Lights.

Q3: How often is too often when it comes to coloring?

Most Stylists Say… This depends on the type of coloring, the color used and what you can live with. Redheads will notice color fade sooner. Roots may crop up faster for brunettes. Blondes may have root issues too.

Permanent color can go four to six weeks perhaps before root touch up is needed. While less permanent colorings can wash out in a matter of a handful of washings.

While those highlights you adore can need reworked every three or four months.

Just remember that repeated coloring of your entire head of hair can lead to severely damaged hair. That and the ends, being more porous, can absorb too much pigment creating noticeable dullness. So don’t rationalize exposing all your hair to the chemicals to brighten the color. That’s too much and before you know it, your locks will be too dry. Leaving you to wonder why.

Q4: How do I keep my color-treated hair from becoming dry and brittle?

Most Stylists Say… Yes, colored hair can feel like straw in no time if you aren’t careful. Avoid excessively over processing your hair with color changes left and right. Avoid hot styling tools which we know can do a number on your hair. Instead use products designed for color treated hair. Finally try an oil hair treatment that can restore health and vitality to over processed hair.

Q5: How soon can you shampoo after coloring?

Most Stylists Say…If you can wait at least 48 hours the color will have time to set and oxidize just a bit.

Q6: Should hair be washed before dying?

Most Stylists Say…Probably not. Here’s why. The natural oils found on your scalp will protect it from the chemicals. And no color depositing shampoos either please. That can affect the look of your hair possibly producing the dreaded unexpected results. The most important thing is to go to your colorist with hair that is healthy and conditioned rather than dry and damaged. You’ll be happier with the outcome.

Q7: What determines who well my hair takes on the color?

Most Stylists Say… How well your hair absorbs the color comes down to its health and texture. It should come as no surprise that the healthier your hair to begin with the better the coloring process will take and the longer it should last. While fine hair is most receptive while coarser strands will tend to be more color resistant.

Anyway, who doesn’t crave hair to dye for — that is sleek, shiny and silky just like what you see in the hair coloring ads in magazines? Or hair that no one can tell is colored? Oh the other hand you can end up with cotton candy hair that’s dry and damaged beyond belief. That’s brassy or tinged orange or green even. Then everyone will know THAT disaster can’t be your natural color.

Which hair color outcome you end up with comes down to a little bit of planning, understanding and applying ideas that work. Yet once you understand this you’ll never have to worry about your hair color doing a quick fade again. Here’s hoping your new hue will be vibrant, lustrous and oozing with super sexy body.

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About Tori

Tori is a recovering shoe addict and aspiring beach bum with a devotion to all things chocolate. Her goal is to make TerrificTresses your online destination for all things hair. Whether it’s ideas to keep things stylish and chic or answers to nagging hair care problems, you’ll find it here. You might look at as your irregular dose of hair care inspiration. Oh and you can find me on GooglePlus too.